This invention relates to pedal arrangements for motor vehicles in which pedals are supported from a bearing mount attached to the bulkhead.
A pedal arrangement in which pedals are supported from a bearing mount attached to the bulkhead is disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 39 04 616. This configuration is advantageous because, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the pedal levers projecting into the foot space of the passenger compartment are moved away from the operator of the vehicle by a rotary motion. This arrangement substantially reduces the risk of foot injury in motor vehicle accidents.
A similar principle using a different construction is disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 28 41 988. In that case, a subassembly containing a bearing mount and pedal levers is pivotally supported at its lower end by a nondeformable longitudinal support member of the vehicle rather than being fixed to a deformable front bulkhead of the vehicle body and is releasably retained in position at its upper end by tongues which engage an upper transverse member located behind the bulkhead. From the point of view of occupant safety, this arrangement is regarded as highly favorable, but this favorable arrangement is not achieved without substantial engineering expense.